Book trimming machines



BOOK TRIMMING MACHINES Filed July 7, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Robefl B Y BY m ATTORN EYS June 16, 1964 R BOYD 3,137,395

BOOK TRIMMING MACHINES Filed July 7, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 o I O 0 ll ll INVENTOR obE I 7 ATTORNEY S June 16, 1964 R. BOYD 3,137,395 BOOK TRIMMING MACHINES Filed July 7, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR R e even 1 ATTORNEY June 16, 1964 R. BOYD 3,137,395

BOOK TRIMMING MACHINES Filed July 7', 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FlG.4.

INVENTOR fi ngg 1c: 3011) ATTORNEYS v United States Patent ()3 3,137,395 BOOK TRIMMING MACHINES Roderick Boyd, Mettingham, England, assignor to Richard Clay and Company Limited, Bungay, England, a corporation of Great Britain Filed July 7, 1961, Ser. No. 122,558 7 Claims. (Cl. 2141.6)

This invention relates to automatic feeds means for trimming machines or other book-binding machinery where a book or pile of books requires to be introduced and registered in a substantially horizontal plane.

More particularly is the invention concerned with three knife book trimming machines arranged to be automatically fed from a stacker or other process, although the automatic feed is such as to free an operator from a great deal of manual work in that he does not have to wait for the book clamp to grasp the books before he leaves go of them himself. He can therefore maintain a higher rate of production on work of consistently good quality.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a three knife book-trimming machine equipped with automatic feed means according to the invention and FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the feed means to a larger scale.

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line III III of FIG- URE 2 and FIGURE 4 is a section on the line IVIV of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings, an approach channel is represented at 1 along which the piles of books or single books are propelled by one or more conveying 1 belts 2. Thebooks may be manually placed on the conveying belts or automatically placed there when delivered from 'a previous process or machine such as a stacker. They then pass underneath a top clamp 3, which is in its up position when gates 4 are closed. Base plate 5 of thetop clamp unit is covered with Fluon or some other relatively friction free material and books are propelled across 'it. only by the weight of further books on the approach belts 2. This avoids any possibility of marking books due to pressure exerted by the top clamp. As there is room for only one pile between the gates 4 and this top clamp, when the gates are open only one pile is allowed to pass through. This pile is propelled forwards by two further flat belts 6, continuously driven by the trimming machine, andwhen it touches, a switch 7 transfer'register pusher8 which has a face of angled brushes 12 is extended and pushes the books into the trimming machine side lay. When the main cylinder 8 is fully extended forward, swinging arms 9 come down and register the pile to' the trimming machine in-feed pusher 10 or back gauge. Trimming machines of this type have a small clamp which then holds the books while the in-feed pusher takes them into the trimming position. 7

Normally it requires some considerable skill and effort to keep a pile of books 'up to thein-feed pusher 10 and sidelay 11 accurately and without their falling forwards before the back stop carries'thern into the machine. This is now achieved mechanically by an alignment device comprising the swinging arms 9 shown as brushes which do not rise until the in-feed pusher clamp 10 has grasped the books firmly, preventing any falling forwards. There is also the added advantage that the operators hands are never anywhere near the trimming knives. As brushes are used on the swinging arms 9 and on the face of the transfer and register pusher 8 it is possible accurately to lay a pile of both side and back lays even though the books vary in size due to uneven size of sheet, large covers or other binding or printing defects. A further method of registering books is to replace the brushes by 3,137,395 Patented June 16, 1964 spring loaded circular plungers in the case of the arms 9 and spring loaded horizontal bars in the case of the main transfer and register pusher 8. Thesehave'the added resultof applying a greater holding down effect on the pile of books being registered into the trimmer. A further advantage is-where a conventional trimming machine of this type is to be connected to some other unit, as one is able to feed direct from an earlier process without. any handling at all. As the feeding and registering of books is no longer dependent directly on the manual dexterity of the operator not only can the machine be run at a much higher speedin fact in most cases the highest speed of which the particular make of machine is mechanically capable but also considerably increased output is obtained as the operator is free to check quantities, quality, etc. without stopping the machine.

The automatic feed is suitable for use with several makes and types of machine, such as the Krause Wohlenberg, Pivano, Atlas or Johne.

At a point in the approach channel 1, a pair of bookoperated switches or a single photo-electric cell 16 with time delay device are incorporated. 'These are so arranged in the electrical circuit controlling the gates 4 and top clamp 3 that the gates remain closed and top clamp open .until sutficient books have accumulated in the approach channel. Whenthese switches make contact acircuit is made via a further switch 13 which signals that the main pusher is in its ready to receive position. If this circuit is made the top clamp 3 closes and the gates 4 open. If the trimming machine and consequently the flat belts 6 are running, a pile is then forwarded to a book-operated switch. 7. Oncontacting this switch the gates close behind the pile, the top clamp opens and the books in the approach channel propel the pile that has been situated under the top clamp into the gates. It is therefore replaced under the top clamp by a further pile. The pile of books previously fed remains in contact with; switch 7 until an electrical cam contact 17 on the trimming machine signals that the in feed pusher 10 is in its back position. Themain transfer and register pusher 8 then feeds the booksacross. In its forward position it makes contact with a switch or pilot air valve 14. This is in series with a similar switch or air valve 15 operated by a cam on the trimming machine. When contact is made by 14 and 15 the swinging arms 9 come. down to register the pile to the back gauge or in-feed pusher 10 and are then returned to their raised positions as previously mentioned. The pilot valve or switch that returns them also returns the main transfer and register pusher 8 into contact with switch 13. If the circuit in the approach channel is made (i.e. if sufficient books are waiting on the belts 1) a further cycle commences.

It will be seen therefore that if insufiicient books are in the approach channel 1 the trimmer continues running with no work going in until suflicient books have accumulated when the feeder re-starts itself automatically. As the forwarding of a pile into the trimmer and all subsequent operations are controlled byswitches or valves mounted on and operated by the trimmer itself, thelikelihood of a misfeed is obviated.

Books can still be fed by hand for setting. up purposes if required as the main transfer and register pusher 8 will not come forward unless switch 7 is contacted, so if this does not come forward to contact valve 14 the swinging arms 9 will not operate.

The preferred means of operating the top clamp 3, gates 4, main transfer and register pusher 8 and swinging arms 9 are by pneumatic cylinders either direct or via mechanical linkage. This has several advantages:

(1) Ease of construction-it would be very difiicult 3 to accomplish the cycles suggested purely mechanically, particularly as this feeder is specifically intended for fitting to machines of existing design.

(2) The speed of some of the operations required is more easily obtained using pneumatic circuits.

(3) Re-setting for dilferent sizes is minimised.

(4) A variable cushion effect is easily provided. This is necessary on the main transfer and register cylinder 8 in order to prevent damage to the work. It can be varied to suit different types of books.

In the event of a misfeed at any stage the risk of mechanical damage is largely avoided and the books themselves are less liable to damage.

In order to accommodate the size range for which trimmers of this type are designed the following points are taken into consideration. The top clamp 3 can be placed in one of several positions on the approach table 1. One side of the approach channel is adjustable for width as are also the gates 4. The bar connection to the gate has a series of holes in it and the appropriate one is used. The whole assembly of the main transfer and register pusher may be moved in and out and its position located preferably by a series of holes and pin: the knocking up assembly and its appropriate cylinder may be mounted on a slide so that the knock up fingers or arms 9 may always contact the pile of books when hanging vertically. The provision of slides in this case also ensures that the pressure to be exerted by these fingers can be finely regulated.

Although the automatic feed has been shown applied to a Krause Wohlenberg three knife trimmer with its transparent inspection windows 18 and 19 and its delivery conveyor belt 20, it will be appreciated that the trimmer itself is well known and forms no part of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A trimming machine for trimming three sides of a stack of books including a conveyor for moving stacks of the books having a forward section and a rear section, a feed device between said sections for automatically separating and feeding said stacks one at a time to said rear section, a stop adjacent the rear section facing the forward section, said conveyor adapted to move said stacks successively into contact with said stop, a power operated main transfer pusher adjacent said stop on one side of said rear section, a trimming machine on the opposite side of said rear section, said trimming machine including a side lay having a stop face facing said transfer pusher, an in feed pusher having a pusher face normal to said stop face and forwardly of said stop, a power operated aligmnent device adjacent said stop and facing said pusher face, pusher control means operatively connected to said stop and automatically operated by one of said stacks when it contacts said step so as to energize said main transfer pusher whereby the main transfer pusher moves said one stack off said rear section and into engagement with said stop face of the side lay, additional control means operatively connected to said power operated alignment device and operated by said main transfer pusher when it moves said one stack toward said stop face whereby the alignment device pushes one side of said stack against said pusher face.

2. A trimming machine for trimming three sides of a stack of books including a conveyor for moving stacks 4 of the books having a forward section and a rear section, a feed device between said sections for automatically separating and feeding said stacks one at a time to said rear section, a stop adjacent the rear section facing the forward section, said conveyor adapted to move said stacks successively into contact with .said stop, a power operated main transfer pusher adjacent said stop on one side of said rear section, a trimming machine on the opposite side of said rear section, said trimming machine including a side lay having a stop face facing said transfer pusher, and in feed pusher having a pusher face normal to said stop face and forwardly of said stop, a power operated alignment device adjacent said stop and facing said pusher face, pusher control means operatively connected to said stop and automatically operated by one of said stacks when it contacts said stop so as to energize said main transfer pusher whereby the main transfer pusher moves said one stack off said rear section and into engagement with said stop face of the side lay, additional control means operatively connected to said power operated alignment device and operated by said main transfer pusher when it moves said one stack toward said stop face whereby the alignment device pushes one side of said stack against said pusher face, both said pusher device and said alignment device each being provided with resilient means for engaging different sides ofsaid one stack.

3. A machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said resilient means comprise a plurality of flexible and resilient brushes.

4. A machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said feed device comprises a stationary plate between said front and rear section, a power operated clamp above said plate, a power'operated swinging gate behind said clamp, and said pusher control means connected to gate and clamp so as to close the gate and open the clamp when operated by said one stack.

5. A machine as defined in claim 4, including a feed device control connected to said gate and clamp so as to open said gate to raise said clamp when said transfer pusher is energized.

6. A machine as defined in claim 5, wherein said alignment device comprises at least one arm swingably mounted on an axis parallel to said pusher face.

7. A machine as defined in claim 6, wherein all said power operated devices include pneumatic motors and said additional control means includes a valve operated by a power driven rotatable cam on the trimming machine.

V References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 893,510 .luengst July 14, 1908 1,872,000 Keller Aug. 16, 1932 1,907,903 Valiquette May 9, 1933 2,274,713 Kushera Mar. 3, 1942 2,456,004 Larkin Dec. 14, 1948 2,596,448 Toronto May 13, 1952 2,759,510 Hartman Aug.,2l, 1956' 2,924,051 More Feb. 9, 1960 2,941,793 Grant June 21, 1960 3,049,349 Siglow Aug. 14, 1962 3,052,466 Prince Sept. 4, 1962 

1. A TRIMMING MACHINE FOR TRIMMING THREE SIDES OF A STACK OF BOOKS INCLUDING A CONVEYOR FOR MOVING STACKS OF THE BOOKS HAVING A FORWARD SECTION AND A REAR SECTION, A FEED DEVICE BETWEEN SAID SECTIONS FOR AUTOMATICALLY SEPARTING AND FEEDING SAID STACKS ONE AT A TIME TO SAID REAR SECTION, A STOP ADJACENT THE REAR SECTION FACING THE FORWARD SECTION, SAID CONVEYOR ADAPTED TO MOVE SAID STACKS SUCCESSIVELY INTO CONTACT WITH SAID STOP, A POWER OPERATED MAIN TRANSFER PUSHER ADJACENT SAID STOP ON ONE SIDE OF SAID REAR SECTION, A TRIMMING MACHINE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID REAR SECTION, SAID TRIMMING MACHINE INCLUDING A SIDE LAY HAVING A STOP FACE FACING SAID TRANSFER PUSHER, AN IN FEED PUSHER HAVING A PUSHER FACE NORMAL TO SAID STOP FACE AND FORWARDLY OF SAID STOP, A POWER OPERATED ALIGNMENT DEVICE ADJACENT SAID STOP AND FACING SAID PUSHER FACE, PUSHER CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID STOP AND AUTOMATICALLY OPERATED BY ONE OF SAID STACKS WHEN IT CONTACTS SAID STOP SO AS TO ENERGIZE SAID MAIN TRANSFER PUSHER WHEREBY THE MAIN TRANSFER PUSHER MOVES SAID ONE STACK OFF SAID REAR SECTION AND INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STOP FACE OF THE SIDE LAY, ADDITIONAL CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID POWER OPERATED ALIGNMENT DEVICE AND OPERATED BY SAID MAIN TRANSFER PUSHER WHEN IT MOVES SAID ONE STACK TOWARD SAID STOP FACE WHEREBY THE ALIGNMENT DEVICE PUSHES ONE SIDE OF SAID STACK AGAINST SAID PUSHER FACE. 